Autonomous, gravity-assisted motorized racer configured to travel through non-straight tube segments

ABSTRACT

A portable, lightweight racer vehicle. The racer includes a body, a motor and a battery powering the motor, a motorized wheel, a first wheel, and a spring-loaded wheel to cause the motorized wheel to maintain contact with a surface upon which the motorized wheel rotates. The first wheel is larger than the motorized wheel and the spring-loaded wheel. A tube section includes a first half section having a pair of interlocking fingers and a pair of notches; and a second half section having a pair of interlocking fingers and a pair of notches. The two halves are removably snap-fit or press-fit together by joining the pair of interlocking fingers of the first half section with the pair of notches of the second half section while simultaneously joining the pair of interlocking fingers of the second half section with the pair of notches of the first half section. A splitter pipe includes a body having an input port and at least two output ports, and a remotely controlled valve between the input port and the at least two output ports. The splitter pipe is non-opaque, and an inner diameter of the input port does not exceed 2 inches.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/US2017/028565, filed Apr. 20, 2017, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/325,293, filed Apr. 20, 2016,which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to autonomous, gravity-assistedmotorized toy racers and tube assemblies through which the toy racersrun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kids love to race cars. Conventionally, cars are raced on tracks, whichcan be assembled together to form a variety of configurations. Thetracks are open, which means that the cars frequently come off thetracks, and there is a practical limit or constraint on how convolutedthe track can be formed due to the reliance upon gravity and that thecar can succumb to gravity and come off the track, particularly whenascending vertically, undergoing a twisting or rotational motion, orlooping around a loop section of the track.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A tube assembly is disclosed that includes curved tubes or tube segmentsthat are connected together, and they can be connected and rotated invirtually an unlimited number of configurations. Variations on the tubesegments, as well as support post or structures to support the assembledtube configuration, are also disclosed. The tubes or tube segments cansnap together to prevent horizontal sliding.

An autonomous, gravity-assisted motorized toy racer vehicle is alsodisclosed having a form factor and geometry that allows the vehicle tobe able to navigate autonomously inside the tubes without getting stuck,while maintaining drive contact with the inside of the tubes surface(even if sideways or upside down relative to earth). By “autonomous” itis meant that the racer vehicle does not require any manual human energyto impart forward momentum to the vehicle. The autonomous vehicledisclosed herein can be operated by remote control, or it can beautomatically controlled.

The tube segments are assembled together to form a tube assembly to forma desired racing path for the racer vehicle. Thus, there are at leasttwo play components: construction and play. The tube assembly providesthe construction component, and racing the motorized racer vehiclethrough the tubes provides the play component. The racer vehicleincludes a battery and a motor powered by the battery. The motor isconnected to a wheel that propels the racer vehicle through the tubes,but the racer vehicle also gains speed from gravity when heading in adirection back toward earth. The motorized component allows the racervehicle to go in a direction opposite earth or transverse to earth.

The tubes can be closed loops or open ended. If the tubes are of theclosed loop type, then an entry point can be used so that the vehiclecan be inserted or retrieved without disassembling any part of the tubeassembly.

The racer vehicle can include lights, such as one or more light emittingdiodes, which can be powered (for free as it were, meaning withoutdrawing any power from the battery) by the drivetrain, or by thebattery.

Lights and sound will make this product even more innovative, fun andwild.

Because the tubes can be transparent or semi-transparent (non-opaque)and clear or in color, the illuminated racer vehicle is visible throughthe tube segments. Because sound travels well and bounces around in andthrough the pipes, the sound of the vehicle as it races through thetubes and around turns will provide an aural experience in addition tothe visual experience due to the transparent tubes. The visualexperience is enhanced when the racer vehicle is raced through the tubeassembly in a darkened room.

The system disclosed herein is infinitely expandable with additionalpipe (tubes), special feature sets, additional autonomous orremote-controlled racer vehicles, remote control valves in the pipes, toname a few examples.

An accelerometer connected to the lights and sounds controller canfurther enhance visual and aural and other sensory special effects. Thesystem as a whole contributes to a fun, engaging, educational, andexciting (re)-construction and play experience.

The ability to race in the tube and also on the floor constrains thedesign of the body because the body must not interfere with tangency ofadjacent wheels, which is required to run on the floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates two example configurations of tubes connectedtogether into a tube assembly, one called a “table runner,” and theother “flying twist”;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example support system for tube assemblyconfigurations having portions thereof that require support on ahorizontal surface to prevent buckling or collapsing of the tubeassembly;

FIG. 3 illustrate a variety of example tube sections and support postsor base supports, as well as different collar examples that are used asinterconnects between adjacent tube sections;

FIG. 4 illustrates further example tube sections, including straight andcurved sections, as well as sections that are joined together as twohalves;

FIG. 5 illustrates several examples of tube collars that form “halfpipes” in either straight or curved sections, along with collar examplesto join adjacent tube sections together;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example socket system that can be used to couplesupports or posts to the tube sections themselves;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of how support posts can be coupled to asupport base section that rests on a horizontal surface;

FIG. 8 illustrates a “hurricane pipe” having an inner scored section tocause the racer vehicle to twist and spin through this section as itfollows the inner score, and a splitter pipe with an optional remotecontrol valve to direct the racer vehicle through one of multiple pathoptions through the splitter pipe;

FIG. 9 illustrates several funnels that can be connected to tubesections to allow the racer vehicle to jump out of one end of a tubesection and follow an arc dictated by gravity until it is caught by acatch funnel a distance away from the jump funnel to continue theracer's journey through the pipe assembly, and timer tubes that havesensors to allow time and speed of the racer through the tube assemblyto be determined;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example form factor of a racer vehicle in theform of a space ship having multiple wheels and optional multi-coloredLEDs;

FIG. 11 illustrates another example of a racer vehicle having threewheels, at least one of which is motorized, and multiple LEDs, with thevehicle's wheels making a racing sound as it whizzes through the pipes;

FIG. 12 illustrates a straight tube section formed by two halves thatremovably snap together as shown;

FIG. 13 illustrates a straight tube section having a collar at one endand formed by two halves that removably snap together as shown;

FIG. 14 illustrates a straight half pipe section formed by bottom andtop pieces that removably snap together as shown;

FIG. 15 illustrates an example rendering of a tube assembly with a racervehicle zipping through the pipes and jumping across an open spacebetween two pipe sections, making racing sounds and illuminating theinterior of the tube along the way with various colors;

FIG. 16 illustrates top and side views of an example vehicle andexemplary dimensions in inches;

FIG. 17 is a schematic showing various views of another example vehicleand exemplary dimensions in inches;

FIG. 18 illustrates maximum dimensions of a vehicle inside curved tubesegments having various inner diameters and curve radii as shown;

FIG. 19 illustrates maximum dimensions of a vehicle inside curved tubesegments having various inner diameters and curve radii as shown;

FIG. 20 illustrates various side views and first wheel options of anexample vehicle; and

FIG. 21 illustrates side views of a vehicle inside a curved tube segmentwith wheels in different configurations.

FIG. 22 illustrates a vehicle featuring a helical gear drive.

FIG. 23 illustrates a side view of a vehicle having a spring-loadedcompression wheel and a free, unpowered wheel.

FIG. 24 illustrates a connecting system for connecting two tube sectionstogether.

FIG. 25 illustrates an example closed loop configuration in which thetube sections are connected to form a continuous, closed loop from endto end.

FIG. 2.6 illustrates a door in a tube section that can be opened tointroduce the racer vehicle into a tube section, such as in the closedloop configuration shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 illustrates a side view of a racer vehicle inside a straighttube segment with a different wheel configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example configuration of tubes 102 connectedtogether into a tube assembly 100, referred to as a “flying twist”configuration. Other configurations can be a table runner configuration,a long neck snail configuration, and a long loop smoke stack, so namedfor their resemblance to their description.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example support system 200 for tube assemblyconfigurations 100 having portions thereof that require support on ahorizontal surface 202 to prevent buckling or collapsing of the tubeassembly 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates a variety of example tube sections 300, 302, 304, 306and support posts or base supports 308, 310, as well as different collarexamples 312, 314 that are used as interconnects between adjacent tubesections 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates further example tube sections 102, including straight400, 406, 410 and curved sections 402, 404, 408, 412, as well assections that are joined together as two halves 414, 416, 418, 420;

FIG. 5 illustrates several examples of tube collars 500, 502, 504, 506that form “half pipes” in either straight or curved sections, along withcollar examples 508, 510 to join adjacent tube sections 102 together.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example socket system 600 that can be used tocouple supports or posts 602 to the tube sections 102 themselves. Thesockets 604 can be molded open and shut in the mold without needing sideactions. The cross section of the tube 606 shows the wall thickness ofthe tube section.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of how support posts 700 can be coupled toa support base section 702 that rests on a horizontal surface 704.

FIG. 8 illustrates a “hurricane pipe” 800, 802 having an inner scoredsection 804, 806 to cause the racer vehicle to twist and spin throughthis section as it follows the inner score 804, 806, and a splitter pipe810 with an optional remote control valve 812 to direct the racervehicle through one of multiple path options through the splitter pipe810.

FIG. 9 illustrates several funnels 900, 902 that can be connected tostraight tube sections 904, 906 to allow the racer vehicle to jump outof one end of a tube section 102 and follow an arc dictated by gravityuntil it is caught by a catch funnel a distance away from the jumpfunnel (see FIG. 15) to continue the racer's journey through the pipeassembly, and timer tubes that have sensors (e.g., at the “startinggate” and finish line) to allow time and speed of the racer through thetube assembly to be determined. While not shown, the time can betransmitted to a stopwatch display that displays time and speed, sincethe distance through the tubes is a known quantity.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example form factor of a racer vehicle 1000 inthe form of a space ship having multiple sets of wheels 1002, 1004, 1006(6 wheels total) and optional multi-colored LEDs 1008, 1010, 1012, 1014,1016, 1018, 1020. The example dimensions are shown in inches. Thevehicle 1000 has an outer diameter (measured to the point of contact ofthe wheels) of 1.45 inches, a height of 1.2 inches, and a length ofabout 3 inches. Each of the six wheels 1002, 1004, 1006 can be anon-slip driving surface, and can be driven by one battery-powered motorfor constant speed. Alternately, fewer than six of the wheels, such asfour wheels, can be powered, such as 2 wheels in the front and 2 wheelsin the rear, powered by the same motor. The multi-colored LEDs 1008,1010, 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020 can comprise 3 or 4 differentlycolored LEDs on the side and/or the rear of the vehicle 1000. Or, holescan be formed in the housing and the LEDs 1008, 1010, 1012, 1014, 1016,1018, 1020 can be mounted internally so that fewer LEDs can be usedthereby drawing less power. The view of the vehicle in the upper leftcorner is a front view, the view to the right of that one is a sideview, and the view in the upper right corner is a rear view.

FIG. 11 illustrates another example of a racer vehicle 1100 having threewheels 1102, 1104, 1104, at least one of which is motorized, andmultiple LEDs. The vehicle 1000 can include a speaker to make sound, orthe vehicle can make its own racing sound as it whizzes through thetubes.

FIG. 12 illustrates a straight tube section 1200 formed by two halves1202, 1204 that removably snap together as shown.

FIG. 13 illustrates a straight tube section 1300 having a collar 1302 atone end and formed by two halves 1304, 1306 that removably snap togetheras shown.

FIG. 14 illustrates a straight half pipe section 1400 formed by a bottompiece 1402 and top pieces 1404, 1406 that removably snap together asshown.

It should be noted that the support posts (vertical) and base supports(horizontal) can removably snap together to form an unlimited variety of“scaffolding” support structures to support any configuration of a tubeassembly. The various curved tube sections can be coupled together byrespective collars to produce an endless variety of angles and curvesthat are configurable in accordance with the teachings of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example illustration of a two tube assembly 1500with a racer vehicle 1000, 1100 zipping through the pipes 1502, 1504,making racing sounds and illuminating the interior of the tube along theway with various colors. The two pipe assemblies 1502, 1504 form a gap1506 across which the racer vehicle 1000, 1100 exits the tube assembly1502 and falls into a funnel tube section 1508 of the tube assembly1504.

FIG. 16 illustrates top and side schematic views, respectively, of anexample vehicle 1600 and exemplary dimensions of various radii ininches.

FIG. 17 is a schematic showing various views of another example vehicle1700 and exemplary dimensions in inches.

FIG. 18 illustrates maximum dimensions of a vehicle 1800 inside curvedtube segments 1802 having various inner diameters and curve radii (ininches) as shown.

FIG. 19 illustrates maximum dimensions of a vehicle 1900 inside curvedtube segments 1902 having various inner diameters and curve radii (ininches) as shown.

FIG. 20 illustrates various side views and first wheel options 2002,2004 of an example vehicle 2000. and the vehicle 2000 includes afree-wheeling front wheel 2006, a housing 2008, a spring 2010 biasedagainst a free-wheeling spring-loaded compression wheel 2012, abattery-powered motor 2014, and a motor-driven wheel 2016 with a rubbertraction surface. In this example, the unsprung height of the vehicle isabout 1.6 inches, but when the spring 2010 is under compression when thevehicle 2000 is inserted inside a tube section 102, the spring 2010compresses, collapsing the height of the vehicle 2000 to 1.5 inches.This creates opposing pressure forces against the opposing inner wallsof the tube sections 102 as the vehicle 2000 races therethrough. In thelower left corner, a first front wheel option 2002 is shown, in whichthe front wheel 2006 has a ball-like shape, and the unsprung compressionwheel 2012 compresses when inserted inside a tube segment as shown inthe figure to the right. An example width of the housing 2008 is 1.4inches. In the lower right corner, a second front wheel option 2004 isshown, in which the front wheel 2006 has the shape of a bicycle wheelinstead of a ball shape.

FIG. 21 illustrates side views of a vehicle 2100 inside a curved tubesegment 102 with wheels 2102, 2104, 2106, 2108, 2110, 2112 in differentconfigurations.

The embodiments disclosed below in connection with FIG. 22 can useresilient rubber wheels to take up tolerance in the tube and providetraction force.

Embodiment 1) Helical Gear Drive is more normal in the tube and on thefloor.

Embodiment 2) Belt Drive. It will be very strange on the ground as thespine will not be horizontal in many possible configurations. The beltscan also be replaced with a train of idler gears if gears are preferredto belt.

FIG. 22 illustrates a vehicle featuring a helical gear drive 2200(Embodiment 1), The helical gear drive embodiment features:

A) A central drive gear directly coupled to the motor 2206, and 3equally spaced driven gears 2204.

B) The driven gears are over-molded with rubber tires that straddle thecentral gear.

C) The drive housing is split for assembly. The motor 2206 snaps intothe drive housing and connects to the central gear.

D) The associated electronics, connectors, PCB, batteries, etc. can nestin the voids around the motor or on a cage frame around the motor.

E) This arrangement allows any two wheel tangencies to drive on a flatsurface, and allows space within to house a modestly sized vehicle body.If a non-flat surface vehicle is created, the body area will increaseaccordingly.

F) We used actual gear sizes, the smallest of which is shown in FIG. 22.This allows larger diameter outboard gears to be used, keeping the spacemaximized. The grouping shown increases the inner diameter of the tubeby 0.200″ to 1.700″.

G) This configuration can be used singly or in pairs, with a single ordual shaft motor. It applies to vehicle layouts 1, 3, 5 and 7.

H) Double shaft motor will drive 6 wheels. Single shaft motor drives 3wheels. And the other 3 wheels free-wheel.

Alternately, a vehicle featuring a belt drive drivetrain is contemplatedas Embodiment 2. The belts can also be replaced with a train of idlergears if gears are preferred to belt.

FIG. 23 illustrates a side view of a vehicle 2300 having a spring-loaded2304 compression wheel 2302 and a free, unpowered wheel 2306, and abelt- or gear-driven front wheel 2308. The example dimensions are givenin inches.

FIG. 24 illustrates a “twist to lock” connector system to connect twopipe sections 2400. Tabs 2402 on the connector of one pipe section arelined up with corresponding grooves 2404 on the connector of anotherpipe section. Once the tabs 2402 and grooves 2404 are aligned, one pipesection is twisted relative to the other pipe section to lock the twopipe sections together.

FIG. 25 illustrates an example of a closed-loop pipe assembly, where theracer vehicle, e.g., 1000, 1100, can traverse the inner pipes in aclosed loop as many times as the vehicle's battery will allow. As shownin FIG. 26, a hinged door 2600 in one of the pipe sections 102 can beaccessed to introduce the racer vehicle 1000, 1100 inside the pipesection 102 of the pipe assembly. FIG. 27 illustrates another racervehicle 2700 in a straight tube 102.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable, lightweight vehicle, comprising: abody; a motor and a battery that powers the motor; a motorized wheelmechanically coupled to the motor, the motorized wheel beingspring-loaded to cause the motorized wheel to maintain contact with aninner surface of a tube upon which the motorized wheel rotates and tocollapse an overall height of the vehicle to a collapsed height inresponse to the vehicle being inside the tube; a plurality of free,unpowered wheels extending from the body; wherein the collapsed heightof the vehicle does not exceed 2 inches, and a length of the vehicledoes not exceed 3 inches, and a weight of the vehicle does not exceed 8ounces, wherein the vehicle has dimensions that allow the vehicle topass through a curved section of the tube having an inner diameter notexceeding 2 inches.
 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motorizedwheel is a spring-loaded compression wheel.
 3. The vehicle of claim 1,wherein a height of the vehicle inside the curved section does notexceed 1.5 inches.
 4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a length of thevehicle does not exceed 2 inches.
 5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein theinner diameter does not exceed 1.7 inches or does not exceed 1.5 inches.6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motorized wheel includes a secondpowered wheel.
 7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motorized wheel isspring-loaded by a spring that compresses to collapse an overall heightof the vehicle.
 8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the overall height ofthe vehicle is collapsed about 0.1 inches.
 9. The vehicle of claim 1, incombination with a tube assembly, comprising: a plurality of straighttubes each of whose inner diameter does not exceed 2 inches; a pluralityof curved tubes each of whose inner diameter does not exceed 2 inches;wherein at least one of the plurality of straight tubes and at least oneof the plurality of curved tubes are transparent or semi-transparent ornon-opaque; wherein each of the plurality of straight tubes and each ofthe plurality of curved tubes are configured to be removably coupledtogether.
 10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein a ratio between (a) aradius of one of the curved tubes measured to an inner curved surfacethereof and (b) an overall height dimension of the vehicle issubstantially 4:1.4.
 11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein a ratio between(a) a radius of one of the curved tubes measured to an inner curvedsurface thereof and (b) an overall height dimension of the vehicle issubstantially 5:1.4.
 12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the tubeassembly further comprises a funnel configured to be connected to one ofthe plurality of straight tubes or the plurality of curved tubes toallow the vehicle to be caught by the funnel from outside the tubes. 13.The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the tube assembly further comprises afunnel-shaped tube section having a first end and a second end, whereina diameter of the first end is larger than a diameter of the second endor is at least twice as large as a diameter of the second end or is atleast three times as large as a diameter of the second end.
 14. Thevehicle of claim 1, in combination with a remote control to operate thee.
 15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein each of the tubes comprise: afirst half section having at least a pair of interlocking fingers and apair of notches; a second half section having at least a pair ofinterlocking fingers and a pair of notches, wherein the two halves areremovably snap-fit or press-fit together by joining the pair ofinterlocking fingers of the first half section with the pair of notchesof the second half section while simultaneously joining the pair ofinterlocking fingers of the second half section with the pair of notchesof the first half section.
 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein thefirst half section has a first part and a second part separated by adistance from one another, the first part having a first of theinterlocking fingers of the first half section and a first of the pairof notches of the first half section, and the second part having asecond of the interlocking fingers of the first half section and asecond of the pair of notches of the first half section.
 17. The vehicleof claim 1, wherein a diameter of one of the free-unpowered wheels islarger than a diameter of the motorized wheel.
 18. The vehicle of claim1, wherein a single one of the plurality of free, unpowered wheels is atone end along the body opposite to a second end along the body, and themotorized wheel is at the second end.
 19. An assembly, comprising: atube assembly, the tube assembly comprising: a plurality of straighttubes each of whose inner diameter does not exceed 2 inches; and aplurality of curved tubes each of whose inner diameter does not exceedthe inner diameter of the straight tubes, wherein at least one of theplurality of straight tubes and at least one of the plurality of curvedtubes are transparent or semi-transparent or non-opaque, wherein each ofthe plurality of straight tubes and each of the plurality of curvedtubes are configured to be removably coupled together; the assemblyfurther comprising a portable, lightweight vehicle, the vehiclecomprising: a body having a first end and a second end opposite thefirst end; a motor and a battery that powers the motor; a motorizedwheel at the first end and mechanically coupled to the motor, themotorized wheel being a spring-loaded compression wheel (a) to cause themotorized wheel to maintain contact with a surface upon which themotorized wheel rotates and (b) to collapse an overall height of thevehicle to a collapsed height that does not exceed an inner diameter ofany of the tubes in response to the vehicle being inside the tubes; anda plurality of free, unpowered wheels extending from the body, wherein alength of the vehicle does not exceed 3 inches, and a weight of thevehicle does not exceed 8 ounces, wherein the vehicle has dimensionsthat allow the vehicle to pass through a curved section of any of thetubes having an inner diameter not exceeding 2 inches.
 20. The system ofclaim 18, wherein a ratio between (a) a radius of one of the curvedtubes measured to an inner curved surface thereof and (b) an overallheight dimension of the vehicle is substantially 4:1.4 or 5:1.4.